Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-06-16
A NOTABLE ADDRESS
OS rms COLLs0s ASD rms OLD oOL.
LkaR CURRsCULUA"
O,,,,cn l,e,,srrsd 81 tho Centennial Csiebra-
,,ou q, r,soA,,u and Msrshan college. Ian.
caster, june rs. 1857, BY Hon. 1 n.
steiner, N. ID -Opposing tho Uui.
itarian Idea In Colleges.

by the legislature VI pennsylvania. was lAtd
in this city by BENJAMIN Franklin. The
names of the trustees to whom were en-
trusted its interests, show that they were
chiefly Of German nativity.
Fifty years thereafter, in a small village /
nesting at the base of the hills Of Frankliu
county, one solitary student-the sole repre-
sentative of the highest class of an institu-
tion there located-took his haccalaurcatc
degree and became the first fruits Of another
college, also authorized by the legislature Of
the same commonwealth.
Both these colleges were established by
men Of German BIRTH or by those who
boasted ancestry that came to these shores
from Germany. Whatever vitality they
manifested. whatever spirit WAS shown in
their subsequent history. was the result Of
German earnestuess and German piety.
Their support, in most cases, came from
those who had toiled to gain meagre sub
sstence for themselves, but who were ami
mated with an earnest desire to establish in
stitutions where their descendants could tit
themselves for any duty in life and contrib
ute to the welfare of the new country in
which their lot had been cast. They prayed
and labored. fought against a mighty array
Of adverse circumstances, sacrificed much,
but still kept prominently before them their
main obect-to give their children and their
descendants opportunities to secure good
spiritual and intellectual outfit for the work
| Of life.
Time passed, and the friends of these two
colleges, seeing how much more effectively
| they could perform their duties as institu-
tions for training young Americans under
| the influence Of what were precious legacies
of German thought aud German pety,
wisely determined to merge their separate
| and somewhat rival relations into one college
which should challenge the respect and sup
| port of the people from whom their students
| were to bs drawn. The united college bore
| the names of the two out of which it was
| formed, and. from the very day of the union.
| started off on 4 career, which, while it has
| not been marked with the tlashy success of a
! meteor dashing across the sky, has shown
| Row faithfully its officers have striven to
| realize the ideal Of a liberal Christian educa-
| tion.
| To-day We meet under the auspices of the
united institution to return our sincere
thinks to Him who has been its buckler and
shield. to scan the extent of the work it has
done and is now doing, and to bring such
/ help and inspiration to its faculty and trus-
tees as may enable them to take fresh cour-
age and push forward still more vigorously
in the path they have hewn out for them
selves among the colleges of these United
States.
OF those who were honored with degrees
dred years ago. none are with us in the flesh
| to-day: some have come from that located
at the base of Parnell, whose ys Its amid the
| struggles of life have been nearly as 7 imer-
Gus as those claimed for their Alma Mater,
and whose care-worn brows show that they
| have been toilers in the world and earnestad-
vocates of the right and the true; still more
| are here from the united institution, full of
| the traditions Of the past, but like young
| giants eager for the work before them. proud
| of the reputation gained by their predecessors
| but full of determination to show themselve,
| worthy of it and ambitious to secure still
| greater triumphs.
| These three classes are all represented her
to-day-the santed dead who struggled il
| the early years of Franklin, accomplishin.
+ | bot little beyond the preservation of the po
tentiality of the idea of an Anglo-G German col
lege; the vigorous, hardy sons Of Marshall
who, after earnest preparation for the worl
OF life under the inspiration of the saintci
genius whose teachings were their pride an,
veneration, plunged into the conflict, are ais,
here with grateful hearts and renewed yigor
although marked with many scars indicativ,
| of the earnest cOmbats through which they
have passed and along with these are tn,
SUCCESSORS of Franklin and Marshall-th,
| fair flower of which the others were tn,
| promse-upon which We the boys of an ear
| lier day, and our predecessors from tn,
Shadow Land, invoke the blessings Of HEAVIER
as the hone of the nation we love.
U,u f,tbers and bro,b.rs, Aim, Nat.
| has invited us to the feast. Learning. Beaut,
and Religion have entreated that they might
be hAndmaidens to welcome the wandering
sons to the home-freside. We are not
strangers to one another, even il our faces
are unfamiliar and our voices secure no rec
| ogntion from attentive ears. Do not Oul
heats beat in unison, has not the same love
fired our youthful souls. have We not drawI
inspiration alike from the lips or the writings
Of the Christian philosopher to whom We owe
so much for those mighty truths that have
proven themselves the mainsprngs Of on
usefulness in life? We come responsive u
her call, prepared to lay whatever Of hOnor
, and distinctions We may have gained at he
} feet, prepared to ignore for the time TIN
> years that have accumulated upon our heads
and ready to DO boys once more, subject t,
her orders and obedlent to her discipline
We know that 1t is good for us to be here
because We hope to secure such fresh con
secration for the work that may still be be
fore us in life that will enable us to put new
energy and zeal into all our future efforts
to acquire additional power in the struggle il
behalf OF the good and the true, and to e
forth from this home visit with the comfort
ing feeling that we are lighting no battl
alone but IN INTEL gent sympathy with hun
dreds OF brothers, trained as We were, arme'
as We are and ready for vigorous contest
under the same banner.